Millions of people enjoy swimming in above-ground inflatable swimming pools. Many of these pools have an inflatable ring around the top of the pool, which floats upward when water is added to the pool. This action raises the walls of the pool so that water may be retained within the pool. Leaks in an inflatable ring, for example from punctures by dogs, cats, or the teeth of small children, may occur frequently and can cause the walls of a pool to collapse, so that water pours out of the pool.
Inflatable rings for pools are typically repaired with adhesive patches, but these sometimes do not hold and fail to prevent other leaks. After each patch, the inflatable pool must be inflated again by pumping in air, which can be time-consuming and laborious. Moreover, major tears in inflatable rings are difficult to repair with adhesive patches. In addition, the material of inflatable rings may wear out faster over time that the more durable materials used for the sides and bottoms of these pools, so that patching becomes impractical. In such cases currently the entire pools must be replaced, which can be expensive.
Therefore, there is a need for a simple, inexpensive, and effective means of repairing the inflatable rings of above-ground swimming pools to extend the life and use of those pools.